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GIVEAWAYS ON UB

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Consumed by guilt from a war she started, Cori faces the aftermath of her destruction. The Mercy colony is in shambles as infection spreads and Dylan struggles to find a cure before it’s too late. Cori’s love and loyalties are put to the test when he asks her for the unthinkable. Now faced with impossible decisions, Cori must risk her friends and everything she’s ever cared about in order to put things right. She’ll go to unimaginable lengths to save the innocent, no matter the cost.

Monday, March 24, 2014

It called my name again, this time from the foot of my bed. Oh my God. I froze.

“Who’s there?”

In the darkness something reached out and grabbed my leg, nails piercing my flesh. The agony shocked me. I screamed and struggled like an animal crushed in a steel trap.

It was neither vampire nor human. It was slimy, oozing blood and some other rancid liquid. I choked on the putrid stink of rotting meat.

I shrieked and kicked it in the face. The jagged edges of its fangs sliced my heel. I rolled sideways, fell from the bed, and hit the floor. My bloody feet slipped as I tried to skid away. But the creature was on me, snarling, dragging me by my feet toward its mouth. Then I saw its eyes. Yellow. Filmy. Their black centers bleeding at the edges.

The creature snapped at my face.

“NO!”

I put my fingers in its mouth and it sank its teeth down to the bone. With a cry I tore its jaw off. It didn’t even scream, just reeled away. I scrambled back against a dresser, and a lamp smashed and fell to the ground. Still blind, I felt around until my hand closed around a shard of glass. I stood and the creature crashed into me, a storm of claws and teeth. As we slammed into the wall, it stabbed its talons into the back of my shoulders, the pain hot and intense. I drove the shard in between its ribs. We fell together.

Laughter. I heard a low, hoarse cackle and when I looked toward the sound, I saw eyes. Blood red. And then they were gone.

The monster was shaking me. It was talking. No. It had Lucas’s voice.

Lucas.

Suddenly, there was light. Lucas was crouched over me and I was twisted under him, mid-struggle.

What? What’s going on?

“Zee! Stop!” Lucas shouted. “Stop. You’re all right.”

“Where is it?” I cried. “Where did it go?”

“Calm down. You were dreaming.”

“No, th-there was something in my room. Where is it?”

“You were having a nightmare, my lady,” Uther said. He clutched the belt of his robe, eyes wide. A row of soldiers stood beside him, their gloved hands on the handles of their swords.

“What...?” I blinked to clear the fog in my head.

Lucas rose and helped me to my feet. Then he staggered back. He had blood on his hands.

“Lucas, you’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine.”

I rubbed my eyes. “What happened?”

Wincing, Lucas lifted his shirt and seemed to yank at the skin on his abdomen; he threw a piece of glass to the ground.

The shard of glass. I put that in the monster. The monster is Lucas? No, wait.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “Did I do that to you?”

“Yes.”

“In my sleep?”

“Yes.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I swear, there was something in my room and then someone else who was watching. I heard them. I felt them.”

I reached around to rub my shoulder, searching for bloody punctures. No wound. I looked down at my rumpled dress, stained with sweat. I turned my hands over and searched for scratches. “There was something here. It was so real.”

A chunk of the bed frame had splintered off. Chairs and tables were overturned. One of the doors had come off its hinges. Water from the vase, now broken, dribbled from the table to the floor.

“Did I do all this?”

“You had some help,” Lucas said.

Uther nodded. “The swordsmith and the maids tried to wake you from your nightmare.”

Oh no. “Did...did I hurt them?”

“They will be all right,” Uther replied.

Under the light the confusion dissipated and guilt swept in. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Lucas, are you okay?”

“I’ve healed already, so don’t give it another thought.”

I put my hands up as if I was facing a squadron of armed officers. “Sorry, everyone.”

“Please leave us,” Uther ordered. The Aramatta filed out without a second glance.

I plucked a few feathers stuck to my clothing. A cushion had been gutted and its fluffy innards were strewn all over the bed and floor. Lucas placed a hand on my still trembling shoulder. His fingers touched where the creature had pierced me with its nails.

“You were stuck in a very bad dream, my lady,” Uther said.

“I’ve never had a nightmare like that before,” I said. “Usually I dream that I’m horribly late for a final exam and I can’t find the classroom. But there were monsters. One was attacking me and biting me and I couldn’t get away. It was so real.”

The creature’s fetid blood still lingered in my nose. It made me nauseous. I sank down onto the once-beautiful bed.

“You’ve also never been through the kind of trauma that you’ve experienced,” Uther said.

“I’m not making a good case for myself, am I? Being a house guest from hell.”

“My lady, the Monarchy is only concerned with your safety and well-being.”

“Thanks, Uther.”

“Try to get some rest, my lady.”

“Yeah, I’ve given up the whole sleeping thing. It’s overrated.”

“I will return shortly. If there is anything you need, just call for one of the maids.”

“I don’t know how eager they’ll be to come in here after what’s happened.”

“You fell asleep while the cleric was trying to convince me to give you space. I refused and ended up resting on the couch in your room. Then you started sleepwalking and screaming.”

“I was standing up?”

“Yes, you threw a maid through the door.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. And anyone who touched you.”

“Were my eyes open?”

“Yes.”

“Then what did you do?”

“I tried to wake you.”

“Then I stabbed you?”

“Well, you did that after.”

“After what?”

“After a struggle. Let’s just say that I learned very quickly that I could never fight you.”

I slapped my hands to my face. I wanted to fold into myself and disappear. I’m dangerous. This is partly why the Monarchy hunted me in the first place. They feared that I would be out of control and murderous. The Empress would have something to say about this. Maybe this was enough proof that I could not be free.

Axelia fought an army of vampires and survived. Once fated as the destroyer of the vampire race, she is now welcomed into the immortal empire and revered as a god.

But instead of relishing her victory, she faces a dangerous new world and an empire at war. Axelia is thrust into the position of supreme vampire and caught in the crossfire of battle. To make matters worse, her role alienates Lucas, the one vampire that she trusts.

Her power spawns evil enemies. And they know how to get to her — by hurting those whom she loves most.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

Wynne Channing is a national newspaper reporter and award-winning young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Carlene Adams' new life has been an illusion, her newfound joy just for rent. The life she craves can't really belong to a girl who is responsible for someone's death.

Her greatest fear has been realized. Nick Johnson, her second chance at love, has discovered her true identity and disappeared from her life.

She will need to find a way to move on without Nick. But the memories of their time together haunt her relentlessly. As Serendipity's Businessman of the Year, his face is everywhere—in magazines, on the television screen, and behind her eyelids. Soon, rumors about her past cause her life to spin out of control, and she finds herself even further from her dreams.

But Carlene is good at hiding from the past. She's done it once before. She can do it again. She can leave her hometown and begin again somewhere new. But she can't move on without telling Nick the truth about the life he thinks she took, and everything that came before.

Review:

I was reluctant to read Entangled Moments (the first book) because was it a little bit out of my usual genres. But when I did, I enjoyed it a lot and then I read Rekindled Moments and the author simply blew me away.

This second installment had been written so beautifully and sometimes poetically. I could feel the heartbreak and emotion of the characters with each word and sentence. I could feel how painful life was for them and how much strength they had to pick themselves up after going through so much loss, and torment. The storyline was unique and held so much depth, that I couldn't put the novella down.

I'm terribly surprised with myself. I never thought I would enjoy the genre, but Dori Lavelle has gotten me hooked. Hats off to her and her wonderful writing style and for being the first author to write something in a genre I'm starting to love more and more with each read. I can't wait to read more from her.

Friday, March 21, 2014

I was overwhelmed with the urge to show her that good guys did exist, and that I was one of them. But that’s not what she needed right now.When we were done eating, I threw the pizza box in the fridge. Brooke poured another round of shots for us, and this time I did mine at the same time as her, with my eyes closed.“So, you know my story. Now it’s your turn.”Brooke shrugged one slender shoulder and picked at the blanket with her pale yellow fingernails. I looked to her toes and saw they were painted in a matching shade. At first glance, everything about this girl screamed high maintenance. Yet, here she sat on my bed, eating pizza out of a box, drinking tequila shots and seemed to be perfectly comfortable doing it.“There’s not much to tell. I grew up here with Gram. My mom was only sixteen when I was born and was too young to handle raising a kid. She comes and goes, but mostly goes. I went to cosmetology school after high school, and I do hair at Loraine’s Luscious Locks.” She winced as she said that last part. “I hate that name. Luscious is such a weird word.”I laughed. “Do you like what you do?”“Yeah, I really do. I’m good at it. I like making people feel good about themselves. It’s not brain surgery, but I like it.”“You don’t have to save lives to be doing something important. I’m sure a good haircut can do more for a woman’s self-esteem than twenty sessions with a psychiatrist.”“That’s probably true,” Brooke said, tilting her head to the side as she studied me.“What?” I asked, thinking I must have pizza sauce smeared on my face or something.She narrowed her eyes. “Are you gay?”“What?” I repeated. This conversation was not going where I thought it would.“It’s just that you’re so…nice. And you seem to really understand women.”I snorted. “I assure you, Brooke, I am not gay. And I absolutely do not understand women. Your species is a complex and unsolvable mystery to me.”She giggled and reached for the tequila bottle again. When we both had our shots in hand, she held hers up. “To new friends.”I clinked my glass against hers. “To new friends.”That’s the last thing I have any clear memory of…

Brooke Mills has only ever wanted to be loved. The product of a teenage pregnancy and raised by her grandmother, Brooke went looking for love in all the wrong places. She has been the other woman or someone’s dirty little secret more times than she cares to admit. When Brooke’s questionable judgment lands her in the bed of her new neighbor, it’s the wakeup call she needs to change her ways. With the help of her friends, Brooke is determined to find a nice guy. Adam Branigan is new in town, and despite the way he and Brooke met, Adam knows there’s more to the beautiful redhead than meets the eye. He wants to be the guy to show Brooke that she deserves more than late night booty calls. But will outside pressures and past relationships conspire to keep them apart?

**This book is intended for a mature audience, age 18 and older, due to language and explicit content.

I am an author of new adult and contemporary romance novels. My husband and I live in Columbus, Ohio with our two young daughters and happy golden retriever. When I’m not spending time with my family, I can be found doing one of my other favorite activities - writing, reading and napping.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Flesh-eating zombies, dirty sex, and a shattered past… What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?
Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it. It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it…
Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. She writes New Adult Romance with a bloody, sexy twist. Her characters are damaged souls who find each other in the dark and have to fight for a love they may or may not deserve.
In her spare time Megan plays Batman with her incredibly sweet son, watches too many episodes of Vampire Diaries (Ian, call me!), buys fish for her many fish tanks, and has long talks with Gandaldore (the little writing wizard that sits on her desk.) She is well known for losing her keys and has more than one nerdy tattoo.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

10. Any Shakespeare play. The play is the thing. The emotion and the story are fantastic. My favorite of all of his plays would be either MacBeth for the drama or Taming of the Shrew for the comedy.

9. Victor Hugo. French period pieces around the revolution. Les Miserable is by far one of the best of its time.

8. Alexandre Dumas.The Three Musketeers. This is actually a three part series of the life of D’Artagnan. And another three part series focused on others in the life of D’Artagnan.

7. Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. These are books that were read and should be read by all children. Fantastic adventure, and social commentary on the times.

6. Jules Verne. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Fantastic adventure. Loved Nemo. The descriptions of what could be still haven’t been equaled.

5. Jules Verne. Around the World in 80 days.

4. Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo. By far the world’s best revenge novel.

3. H.G. Wells. The Invisible Man. For imagining what we could do if we were invisible.

2. Chaucer. The Cantebury Tales. Each of these poems are about a different person and job. What makes them even more interesting is that Chaucer has written quite a bit of erotica into each description. Well done, sir.

1. Bram Stoker. Dracula.

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I, Walter

by Mike Hartner

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

I, Walter is the first in a series of books in a saga which will span continents and time to arrive in present day North America. Each in the series will be connected, though that connection may not be obvious for several more books.

It's almost like looking at a menorah (sic). Many lines, seemingly individual, connect to center at different points.

Walter Crofter was born into Elizabethan England. In a country and a time where favor and politics were both deadly, can an honest boy stay true to himself?

Mike Hartner was born in Miami in 1965. He’s traveled much of the continental United States. He has several years post secondary education, and experience teaching and tutoring young adults. Hartner has owned and run a computer firm for more than twenty-five years. He now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with his wife and child. They share the neighborhood and their son with his maternal grandparents.

Review Excerpts

"I, Walter is a grand tale of adventure that reminds me of the Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin adventure series but with a noble innocence and, a most refreshing, charming slant. Romance, adventure, mystery, rescues, deception, and vivid descriptions make I, Walter a most enjoyable and inspirational read of chivalry. This CBR reviewer looks forward to reading more of the Crofter saga from Mike Hartner" Chanticleer Book Reviews

“This book truly is New York Best-seller material!" Charity Langley, Author

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Blurb:
Jenna Shaw ran away to escape her past. In fact, she jumped on a plane and flew to Portugal to try and forget it. However, it turns out leaving everything behind isn’t as easy as it sounds.

She thought she could move on and break free of her fears—that if she had some space the pain would stop. But as memories resurface due to an ill-timed joke, the past crashes into her present once more and she didn’t see it coming.

Jenna’s plans for normality are derailed by the charismatic Ethan Brooks. She sees him as an annoyance; he sees her as a challenge. But as he tries every trick known to him to impress her, they only serve to push her further away. He’s never faced this problem before and Ethan has to work harder than he ever has if he wants to win over and help his mysterious girl.

She saw
red. Seeping into the crystal clear water it spread, bleeding and merging as
the ripples around her pushed it closer towards her feet. The deep crimson only
grew darker as it surrounded her.

She could
feel her breathing quicken, coming in short, sharp rasps as she started to
panic. Her chest constricted, an unbearable pressure tightening like a boa
constrictor refusing to release her from its clutches. Her throat felt dry, her
increased breathing doing nothing to help the situation as she forced herself
to swallow in the hope of dislodging the lump that had formed there.

This isn’t
happening. This isn’t real. I came here to escape this,she told herself repeatedly
as she laid there, her turquoise bikini embellished with golden sequins shining
in the sun as her back tanned slowly. Bringing up an arm to adjust her
chestnut-brown hair that was dangling in the water, she tried to pull away
before the colour reached her and tainted the beautiful locks. The damage done
would be irreparable if it touched her.

Moving it
just in time, she threw it over her shoulder so it rested between her shoulder
blades, the damp tips feeling nice as they cooled her back by trailing droplets
of water down either side. She tried not to flinch as her gaze returned to the
bloodied water that lapped at the li-lo beneath her chin. With every wave it
seemed to grow closer, making its way further up the yellow plastic to try and
touch her. The tapping that was normally so soothing tormented her now, like a
crowd clapping and cheering her sanity on as it fled for safety.

Rather
than listen to the logical side of her brain, her body had other ideas.
Shuffling back, she put a bigger distance between her face and the abnormal
pool beneath her. As her toes dipped into the cool water behind her though, she
flinched, automatically drawing herself up so that no part of her body was near
the edge. No matter how disgusted she was, she couldn’t stop staring; her eyes
were hypnotised by the gentle movements that swirled the colour into the water
even more. The red had become so thick that not one tile beneath the surface
was visible.

The more
she stared, the more she remembered.

The more
she remembered, the more she was pulled into her memory.

It might
not have been real at that moment in time, but it had been, and Jenna was once
again pulled into the unbearable memory.

About the Author

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two
cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading, loves anything paranormal
and has an overactive imagination that keeps her up until the early hours of
the morning.

With three poems published before the age of
sixteen, Mia moved on to short stories but finding she had too much to tell
with too little space, Mia progressed to novels. She started her first series (The Wanderer Trilogy) at the age of
fourteen and since then hasn’t stopped writing. Elemental Killers is her second series and with an ever growing
list of ideas, Mia is trying to keep up with the speed at which her imagination
generates them.

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All books are either purchased by me or given by publishers, authors or are gifts from friends. Anything from an author or publisher for free is marked for review. I do not make any money out of reviewing book from all parties mentioned above. I write honest reviews that aren't written to offend anyone.